Sex: The Detroit Zoo’s Australian Outback Adventure is home to five males, nine females and several joeys (babies). Females Sheila (born in June 2011) and Isa (born in August 2011) can be seen exploring their habitat with the adult mob. The four youngest joeys were born in January and April of this year.

Type: Mammal

Home: Australia’s deserts and open grasslands. At the Detroit Zoo the kangaroos share the Australian Outback Adventure habitat with wallabies and an emu. Zoo visitors can walk through the habitat on a 1/10 mile path. “You can walk right in with the kangaroos,” said Betsie Meister, Detroit Zoo assistant curator of mammals. “They are a very curious animal. They might be lounging around in the sun one minute, or walking across the path the next. You never know what you’re going to come across in the Outback. It’s a little bit surprising to people.”

Diet: Herbivore

Average life span in the wild: Up to 23 years.

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Height: Head and body combined up to 5-1/4 feet tall. Tail reaches length of more than 3-1/2 feet. Females are smaller and faster.

Weight: 200 pounds

Birth: Mothers give birth to one tiny baby, which then immediately climbs into its mother’s pouch, remaining there while nursing for two months before emerging. Growing joeys often retreat to their mother’s pouch for nurturing and security.

Protection status: Not listed as vulnerable or threatened, but all native mammals are protected by Australian law.

How kangaroos got their name: European explorers asked Aborigines “What are these animals?” The Aborigines replied “kangaroo,” which meant “I don’t understand you.” The Europeans thought they were referring to the name of the strange animals.

Now you know: The red kangaroo is the world’s largest marsupial. Kangaroos’ legs cannot move independently of each other, so they must hop. That doesn’t slow them down though. A red kangaroo can reach speeds of 35 mph and can cover 25 feet in a single bound. Male kangaroos sometimes fight over potential mates, “boxing” by leaning back on their tails and sparring with their hind legs. Kangaroos also can bite and have sharp claws.

­ — Joe Ballor, Journal Register News

Editor’s note: Animals of the Zoo is a series that looks at the animals of the Detroit Zoo. Next week: Wolverines.